It was a typically warm summer afternoon and check-ins were brisk. This was one of the first big weekends of the summer and the front office staff was still adjusting to the large number of arrivals. As another car pulled under the porte cochere, Drew, a bell attendant, gave an audible sigh. "I hope this one tips better than the other two I just had," he muttered loudly enough that Chris, the front desk agent, and Philip, the manager on duty (MOD), could hear. Drew was still leaning against the front desk taking a short breather as the couple got out of their car, looked around, and then proceeded to the front desk. After the front desk agent completed the check-in process, she asked whether they would like assistance with their luggage. After a brief pause, they said yes andlike many other guestslooked around for the bell attendant. Drew had moved from the front desk he had been leaning on to a part of the lobby where he wasn't easily seen, hoping that the guests would turn down the offer for assistance. He wasn't in the mood for another poor tipper even though a gratuity of 15 percent was placed on every room charge. This meant that the guest was paying for bell service whether they used it or not. Also, if they did request assistance, they were not even obliged to pay an additional sum because the tip was covered in the cost of the room. Once the front desk agent knew that the guests required assistance, she radioed Drew. As he heard the radio call, Drew proceeded to the back area where the luggage carts are kept. Philip caught Drew's eye and suggested with a point of the finger that the people who had just checked in were in need of assistance. Drew, however, ignored this cue from the MOD. A few minutes later, Philip noticed the guests taking their belongings from their car and placing them on the walkway. He wondered what happened to Drew. Philip found Drew in the service corridor talking with the other bell attendant, Jim. "I thought you were going straight out to assist those guests," said Philip in a rather disturbed and impatient tone of voice. "What are you two doing? Don't you know guests are waiting to be helped?" Drew backed up and told Philip in an angry voice that his shoulder was really hurting and he went to get Jim so he could assist the guests. Jim had been eating his dinner and wasn't very pleased to be asked to assist the guests when Drew was the one on duty. Jim was even off the clock at the moment. Philip said that he would do the job if the other two couldn't take the time for it or were too tired. "Maybe you should go home if your shoulder is hurting too much to assist guests," suggested the MOD. "Hey," said Drew, "I've been working hard all day, it's hotter than blazes, and I'm going in to the doctor next week. I haven't been sitting on my you-know-what, you know!" Finally,Jim took the luggage cart and proceeded to the entrance to assist the guests. By this time they were looking around inside the lobby for a bell attendant. As Philip returned to assist the front desk agents during this busy check-in afternoon, he counted the number of times he practically had to drag Drew and some of the other bell attendants away from their place at the front desk counter to assist guests with their luggage. "Isn't this their job?" he asked himself. "What messages are they sending by just standing around watching our guests help themselves? Why include the 15 percent gratuity if we aren't helping every guest with his or her luggage?" Philip pondered these questions for a long time. Now, with Drew being so difficult to direct, he thought about how to communicate his concerns with the front office manager.

1. What nonverbal message is Drew sending to the arriving guests?

2. What will be his greatest communication challenges When Jim interacts with the guests waiting for luggage assistance?

3. How would you suggest Drew and the other bell attendants behave during this vital arrival stage of the guest cycle?

4. Was the MOD acting appropriately toward the bell attendants?

5. How else could he have communicated with them that could have been more effective?